>I swear, this kind of thing makes me want to be
>friends with her, so I could try to help her. I don't
>know if I could do more than her own friends and
>family, but I surely would try.

I saw Robert Downey Jr. in an interview last week. The man IS a stupendous entertainer, but he has a serious problem, and he was talking about it, not "I'm clean", or "I'm never going to do that again", but "It's a moral choice, and anyone who ever tells you different is lying to you and to themselves." He said it's a physically difficult thing to resist, and it's even harder once he takes that first step, but he says it's always his choice to do it, no matter the circumstances.

It's hard, Mama, my sister-in-law is an alcoholic, she's been sober for 10 years, it's very difficult to watch a person you love and care for do something like that.

My brother still drinks, and of course, many of their friends, and all of our family drinks. And I know I feel odd, sometimes, having even just "a toast" in her presence. She'll serve us, and she really isn't interested, but it just feels weird.

I would like to hug Yancy, too. I only hope she can get through this. But she has to want to get through it as well.

That is the hard part. Convincing her it's worth trying to overcome this addiction forever, that her life is worth far more. And not "to everyone around her" -- to herself.